Approaching Jesus Just as You Are by Paige C. Clark

by Rachael Adams | Aug 3, 2023 | The Love Offering Guest Blog Series

Scripture in Matthew 27 details the experiences of Christ when he was crucified. This is not the only Gospel to do so, but it does contain key details that Mark, Luke, and John don’t. Christ was ridiculed, humiliated, mocked, tortured, and eventually killed on the cross. What is so great about this passage is the sheer amount of miraculous occurrences that came from Christ’s final breath. The earth shook, the rocks split, the dead were raised once again to life, and the veil was torn.

You might be reading this passage and thinking, “Veil, like a wedding veil?” In order to understand the significance of the veil being torn, we have to journey all the way back to the Old Testament and the creation of the Tabernacle.

Before Christ, in the time of Moses, there were strict guidelines in Jewish law regarding the creation, design, and arrangement of the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle would be the place where the Israelites would sacrifice their offerings for atonement and where the priests would go to encounter God.

The Ark of the Covenant was within the walls of the Holy of Holies and only those appointed by God could approach. This is where God resided.

The Ark of the Covenant is described in Hebrew 9:4, “having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.” It’s where God would go and meet the High Priest and communicate with him. The high priest would be able to enter into the Holy of Holies once a year (Hebrews 9:7) after an extensive cleansing ritual.

The veil was what blocked the “everyday persons” from approaching the Holy of Holies. It was what separated the two. It was treated with great reverence and sacredness. When the Tabernacle became a permanent structure in the form of the Temple the same arrangement of the Holy of Holies and veil were still contained inside the Temple walls.

Some commentators on the actual physical makeup of the veil refer to it as being 3-6 inches thick. It wasn’t meant to be the sheer white tulle of a wedding veil. No, this veil was a hearty gathering of fabric. So when the veil was torn, it wasn’t as if a person walked up and split it in two. It was something that might have needed the ‘jaws of life’ to split.

Insert Jesus. When the veil was torn it signified a beautiful representation of the new covenant that God created with his people through Jesus Christ. The people no longer had to be a high priest or go through rounds of purification to be able to approach the altar of God and come into his presence via the Holy of Holies.

When Jesus died and the veil was torn, we were able to step into the presence of God, not through anyone else but Jesus.

We don’t need to be sanctified because it was done through Jesus on the cross. We don’t need to be purified because it was done through Jesus on the cross. We can trust God with our mess because of Jesus on the cross. He paid it all for us on that cross and when the veil was torn, God’s presence was not limited to a room but was able to reside within us.

What limits you from approaching God just as you are?

We don’t have to be afraid to approach God. We don’t have to sanitize or purify or sanctify ourselves before approaching his throne. We get to immerse ourselves in his glory and we’re able to be purified and sanctified through Christ’s death on the cross.

I am always limited by the belief that I have to ‘hyper-spiritualize’ my prayers, my actions, or my behavior in order to be in relationship with God. When I try to hide things from God, I am inherently doubting his omnipotence (as if He doesn’t already know).

Guilt, shame, and uncertainty are all boundaries that hold me back from truly experiencing intimacy and a relationship with God. When we approach Jesus, we can trust him with our mess and our brokenness.

Romans 8:38-39 says, “for I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing, not even the veil can keep us from Jesus and it was His sacrifice on the cross that allowed us to trust Him with our mess.

About the Author:

Paige is a published writer and communications professional who brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to her craft. In her role as a communications master, she has honed her skills and developed a deep understanding of the industry. In her free time, Paige can be found experimenting in the kitchen, relishing the Arizona sunshine, and exploring new stories on her laptop. Her ultimate goal is to inspire others to find joy in life and live in the present moment. With her knowledge, passion, and unique perspective, Paige is a dynamic and captivating voice in the literary world, ready to share her message with readers everywhere.